Above Rubies Daily Encouragement Blogs

I love how the author of Hebrews describes what happens to us when we are born again. In Hebrews 10:32 it says, "After ye were ILLUMINATED." What a great word to describe our salvation. We are no longer in darkness; we have come into the light. We should no longer be victims of deception because we have come into truth. Our hearts and minds are illuminated and enlightened by the power of Christ.

The actual word is "photizo" and means "to shed rays, to shine, to brighten up." Let's walk in the fullness of what God has done in our lives. Allow God's rays of love and joy to shine through your face to your husband and children today. Brighten up your home with the light of God. Blow away the clouds of darkness--and shine!

Can you believe that this same word "photizo" is used of God lighting the whole of heaven (Revelation 21:23; 22:5). Surely we can light up our little homes with God's light that has shined into our hearts.

2 Corinthians 4:6 Knox says, "The same God who bade light shine out of darkness has kindled a light in our hearts, whose SHINING is to make known his glory as he has revealed it in the features of Jesus Christ." The word "shining" is "lampo" and means "to beam, to radiate brilliancy, to give light, to shine." We shouldn't be a little flickering light, but a beaming light which totally exposes the darkness and fills our home with God's love, light and joy.

Illuminate your home with God's light today.

Love from Nancy

Have you found a good health tonic? The problem is that a good one is usually very expensive so that you can't afford it anyway. I have good news. I've found a great health tonic--and IT'S FREE!

Better than medicine, expensive vitamins, or pep pills is a cheerful heart. This is the tonic God prescribes. Proverbs 17:22 says, "A merry heart doeth good like a medicine; but a broken spirit drieth the bones."

Of course, this is easy to say when everything is rosy, but what about when we go through trouble and heartache? We can only have a cheerful heart that is not dependant on circumstances when we put our trust in God and acknowledge that He is in control of every situation and is always working out everything for our eternal good. It is this kind of trust that enables us to have a cheerful disposition.

Here are a few other translations of this Scripture. Choose the one that impacts you the most, write or type it out in big letters, and post it on your wall to remind you.

New Living Translation, "A cheerful heart is good medicine, but a broken spirit saps a person's strength." As mothers, we can't afford anything in our lives that saps our strength, can we?

New Century Version, "A happy heart is like good medicine, but a broken spirit drains your strength." Our attitude either builds up our emotional and nervous system or totally drains us. Which do you want?

Good News Translation, "Being cheerful keeps you healthy, it is slow death to be gloomy all the time." I have always loved this translation of this Scripture.

Message, "A cheerful disposition is good for your health, gloom and doom leave you bone-tired."

Love from Nancy

Thanksgiving is Family Time. That doesn't mean to say that everything is always perfect. There are often relationships within families that need to be healed. This can be a time for forgiveness, healing, and restoration. And this is what our God is all about.

Because God is God, He is a God of justice and judgment. We don't receive God's forgiveness until we come to Him in repentance and humility. But when we take the first step of repentance God comes running as He reveals in the story of the prodigal son (Luke 15:11-32).

Isaiah 55:7 says, "Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts: and let him return unto the Lord, and He will have mercy upon him; and to our God, for HE WILL ABUNDANTLY PARDON." God not only forgives, but ABUNDANTLY forgives and pardons. In the Hebrew it actually means that He will MULTIPLY THE PARDON!

We should have the same spirit. Let's not hold back forgiveness when someone shows even the slightest turning toward us. Let's be like God and ABUNDANTLY forgive. When they take the first step, let's take 99 steps towards them!

There is nothing so beautiful as humility, forgiveness, healing, and restoration. It is the lifestyle of the kingdom of God.

Love from Nancy

Speaking recently about the liberal agenda (those who promote abortion, same-sex marriage and radical socialism) and those who stand for a biblical agenda, and life and marriage, a well-known minister and author espoused that we really have so much in common. I am sorry, but I have to take issue with this statement. I cannot see one foundation for this statement in the Word of God.

I know we are all a bunch of sinners. We are either a sinner needing God's salvation, or a sinner who has received God's salvation. We have either received the down payment for eternal life in glory, or we haven't (1 John 5:11-12. We either belong to the kingdom of darkness or the kingdom of light. We are either lost or found. Our minds are either blinded by the god of this world (including believers and unbelievers) or illuminated by the Holy Spirit (1 Corinthians 4:3-4).

1 Corinthians 6:14-15 asks the question, "What fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? and what communion hath light with darkness? And what concord (harmony) hath Christ with Belial? or what part hath he that believeth with an infidel?"

There is no middle road. We are either serving God's kingdom or the devil's kingdom. It's time for those of us who say we are believers to truly believe and stand on God's side. For if we are not standing on His side, there's only one other side.

As parents, we must know where we stand, for we must raise children who know where they stand. May God save us from raising wishy washy children who don't really know what they believe, who take on the devil's ploy of tolerance which is destroying the power of the church of God today, and who don't have any idea of hating evil and loving righteousness.

Ezekiel 44:23 says, "They shall teach my people the difference between the holy and profane, and cause them to discern between the unclean and the clean." And, Jeremiah 14:19 says, "If thou take forth the precious from the vile, thou shalt be as my mouth."

Love from Nancy

Some Scriptures to check out and read with your family: Psalm 97:10; Jeremiah 15:19; Amos 5;15; Matthew 6:24; John 15:19; 17:14-16; Romans 12:9; 1 Corinthians 6:9-11; 10:21; 2 Corinthians 6:14-18; Galatians 5:19-21; Ephesians 5:1-12; 2 Timothy 2:19; Hebrews 1:9; James 4:4; 1 John 2:15-17; 4:5-6; Revelation 21:27; 22:11-15.

Have you noticed that many people who are deceived regarding God's truth are actually very loving and kind people? Some of them don't believe in God; others are "believers" who don't believe! But, they are still lovely people. That's where we can easily be misguided. Because they are nice we can think they are right!

However, truth has to be determined according to God and His living Word. Satan knows he cannot deceive us with blatant evil. He comes as an angel of light. He makes his philosophy look pleasant, nice, and wise as he did in the garden of Eden (Genesis 3:6). Deception is so close to the truth.

2 Corinthians 4:4 says, "The god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not." When we do not believe, we give a foothold for Satan to blind our eyes. I am always challenged by Paul's statement in Romans 3:4, "Let God be true, but every man a liar."

This is the bottom line. Do we believe God and His Word? If not, what are we believing? If it doesn't line up with Gold's truth, it is a lie! Only God is truth. 2 Thessalonians 2:3 says, "Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first."

May God save us and our children from falling away from truth. Dear mother, one of the greatest tasks of your high calling of mothering is to infiltrate and penetrate your children with God's living Word. The Word of God, richly filling our lives, and the lives of our children, is the greatest deterrent to deception.

Believe God, or believe a lie!

Love from Nancy

Are you facing a difficult trial at this time? Are you suffering an affliction? Are you being persecuted for walking in God's truth? Please don't despair. There is more happening behind the scenes than what you realize!

After telling the Corinthian believers about the troubles and persecutions he was facing, Paul states, "For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory; while we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen: for the things which are seen are temporal; but the things which are not seen are eternal" (2 Corinthians 4:16-18).

When you are going through something, it seems endless, but God reminds us that in the light of eternity it is only transitory. He also reminds us that it is working for us a great reward in the eternal realm. In fact, He uses five adjectives to describe the glory that will be revealed in us. Count them--FAR, MORE, EXCEEDING, ETERNAL, WEIGHT OF GLORY!

The CEB translation says, "Our temporary minor problems are producing an ETERNAL STOCKPILE OF GLORY for us that is beyond all comparison."

The answer is: don't keep your mind fixed on your problem. Don't let it consume you. Instead, fix your gaze on the unseen, on the eternal, on what God is working in you. The difficulty you are going through is only temporary, but the work God is doing in you is eternal.

You are STOCKPILING for glory. You can rejoice!

Love from Nancy

Many years ago I remember seeing this cartoon. The mother was sitting at the table with the newspaper spread out before her. The home was in a mess, the toys were all over the floor, and the children were running wild! The husband came in the door and said, "What on earth are you doing?"

"I'm looking for a job," she replied. "I need a vacation!"

I'm sure there are times when you felt just like that! It's not an easy career to be a mother and efficiently run a home. But that doesn't mean to say we give up on the job. It is challenging because it is the greatest career in the nation. You, dear mother, are determining the destiny of the nation. You are a military training institute, training arrows for God's army. It's a high priority job.

Paul, the apostle, faced constant afflictions, infirmities, persecutions, beatings, stonings, perils, weariness, painfulness, hunger, and the burden of the church. But, he did not give up. What was his confession? "We faint not" (2 Corinthians 4:1).

You are not facing as many difficulties as Paul, dear mother. But, make his confession yours. "I will not give up." I like the Message translation of this Scripture, "We're not about to throw up our hands and walk off the job just because we run into occasional hard times."

Stick to your great career. You are doing the greatest job in the universe.

Love from Nancy

Have you ever said, “How can I raise godly children? I’m not good enough myself. I make so many mistakes?”

Dear mother, you don’t have to be perfect. But, you do have to be real! Of course you’ll make mistakes. You will blow it and yell at your children. You will often fail. I can't count how many times I've felt like a failure. Your children will forgive you for these things, but they will be twisted in their thinking and theology if they see hypocrisy.

More than anything else children want reality. They want parents who are real. They need to see that your relationship with the Lord is as real on Monday morning as it is worshipping the Lord in church. They need to see that God is high priority in your home every day of the week.

They need to see that if you say you are "believing" parents that you do truly believe and trust the Lord. You will go through hard times, and often lean times. How do they see you reacting? Complaining and in despair? Or, hanging on to God in prayer and faith--and still rejoicing in the faithfulness of God. It's often in the difficult times that they really see if we are real or not.

What about when people despise you and speak wrongfully against you? What do your children see? Are you bitter and speaking negative things about these people? Or, do they see you blessing them and continuing to laugh and rejoice anyway.

You won't be perfect every day. You'll be saying "Sorry" many times. But, be genuine in your faith and love to God.

Love from Nancy

I have just been checking www.numberofabortions.com. At this minute, there have been 55,642,804.4 (and climbing every second) abortions since 1973, Roe vs. Wade. Just this year over one million babies have been aborted in the USA and over 35 million worldwide. My heart is heaving.

How can we act as though nothing is happening? How can we live family life as usual? How can we do church as usual when so many millions of babies are aborted every year? And that is only the beginning. Babies aborted through the pill far exceeds the holocaust of abortion!

We often forget verses eight and nine in Proverbs 31, the famous Above Rubies chapter, "Open thy mouth for the dumb in the cause of all such as are appointed to destruction. Open thy mouth, judge righteously, and plead the cause of the poor and needy."

The NIV translations says, "Speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves." Are we speaking up?

We cannot sit idly by while millions of babies die. We may not be able to do a lot to stop the millions of babies who are aborted, but we can speak up for those around us. We can lovingly encourage a mother to keep her baby who may be thinking of abortion. We can speak up for life at every opportunity. We can sign petitions and give financially. But, most of all, we can pray.

Pray about this issue with your family each day as you have Family Devotions. God hears your cry and the cries of your children.

Love from Nancy

P.S. Can you believe it? Over 800 abortions have taken place worldwide in the last 10 minutes (checking the abortion clock). Surely we cannot but speak up! Surely we cannot but pray!

Many years ago I remember seeing this cartoon. The mother was sitting at the table with the newspaper spread out before her. The home was in a mess, the toys were all over the floor, and the children were running wild! The husband came in the door and said, "What on earth are you doing?"

"I'm looking for a job," she replied. "I need a vacation!"

I'm sure there are times when you felt just like that! It's not an easy career to be a mother and efficiently run a home. But that doesn't mean to say we give up on the job. It is challenging because it is the greatest career in the nation. You, dear mother, are determining the destiny of the nation. You are a military training institute, training arrows for God's army. It's a high priority job.

Paul, the apostle, faced constant afflictions, infirmities, persecutions, beatings, stonings, perils, weariness, painfulness, hunger, and the burden of the church. But, he did not give up. What was his confession? "We faint not" (2 Corinthians 4:1).

You are not facing as many difficulties as Paul, dear mother. But, make his confession yours. "I will not give up." I like the Message translation of this Scripture, "We're not about to throw up our hands and walk off the job just because we run into occasional hard times."

Stick to your great career. You are doing the greatest job in the universe.

Love from Nancy

I have just been checking www.numberofabortions.com. At this minute, there have been 55,642,804.4 (and climbing every second) abortions since 1973, Roe vs. Wade. Just this year over one million babies have been aborted in the USA and over 35 million worldwide. My heart is heaving.

How can we act as though nothing is happening? How can we live family life as usual? How can we do church as usual when so many millions of babies are aborted every year? And that is only the beginning. Babies aborted through the pill far exceeds the holocaust of abortion!

We often forget verses eight and nine in Proverbs 31, the famous Above Rubies chapter, "Open thy mouth for the dumb in the cause of all such as are appointed to destruction. Open thy mouth, judge righteously, and plead the cause of the poor and needy."

The NIV translations says, "Speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves." Are we speaking up?

We cannot sit idly by while millions of babies die. We may not be able to do a lot to stop the millions of babies who are aborted, but we can speak up for those around us. We can lovingly encourage a mother to keep her baby who may be thinking of abortion. We can speak up for life at every opportunity. We can sign petitions and give financially. But, most of all, we can pray.

Pray about this issue with your family each day as you have Family Devotions. God hears your cry and the cries of your children.

Love from Nancy

P.S. Can you believe it? Over 800 abortions have taken place worldwide in the last 10 minutes (checking the abortion clock). Surely we cannot but speak up! Surely we cannot but pray!

Truly God's ways are higher than our ways and His thoughts higher than our thoughts (Isaiah 55:7-8). Who could ever dream that infants and nursing babes could defeat the enemy? And yet this is what God says in Psalm 8:2, "Out of the mouth of babes and sucklings hast thou ordained strength because of thine enemies, that thou mightest still the enemy and the avenger." Every precious new baby that comes into the world, born in the image of God, is another opportunity to destroy the works of the devil. Even the Son of God, Creator and Ruler of the universe came into the world as a little baby and through doing this will one day bring ALL HIS ENEMIES UNDER HIS FEET.

I love the words of Frank Boreham, "We fancy that God can only manage His world by big battalions abroad, when all the while He is doing it by beautiful babies at home. When a wrong wants righting, or a truth wants preaching, or a continent wants opening, God sends a baby into the world to do it. That is why, long ago, a babe was born in Bethlehem."

Perowne writes, "Out of the mouth even of lisping children Thou hast founded strength; Thou hast made them a bulwark or defence against those who rebel against Thee; with their praises and confessions Thou puttest to silence the malicious slanders of Thy enemies."

Are you being blessed with another baby? Never despise the power of conception and the miracle of a new baby growing in your womb. Rejoice in the awesomeness of what is happening within you. A precious life is being prepared to come forth to impact this world. An eternal soul is growing within you that will live forever.

Love from Nancy

Since the election on Tuesday, there are now nine states, plus the District of Columbia who support same sex couples and allow them to be married. As God's people in this nation, we should be repenting in dust and ashes for God says it is an abomination (Leviticus 18:22; 20:13; Romans 1:26-68; 1 Corinthians 6:9). It is against the way He planned for mankind. It has no possibility of life and therefore brings an end to civilization.

Oh yes, I know some will want to throw rotten eggs at me. "You're meant to show love" they shout. Of course we show love. God loves these people as much as He loves the most "righteous" person in the nation. He loves them so much He sent His only beloved Son to die upon the cross and shed His precious blood to save them from their sin and bondage. But, He does not love their sin. He died to deliver them from their sin.

"But you've got to be tolerant," they cry. How duped and propagandized have we become? We either agree with God, or we agree with the humanists and the same-sexites! Do we no longer have godly convictions? Tolerance is causing more and more states to give in to an abomination which brings the judgment of God on our nation. It's time we stopped standing on the fence and began to agree with God, the Creator of the human body.

God loves every individual, but hates sin. We are also to love every individual, but hate sin. God's people are to "hate evil and love righteousness" (Psalm 97:10; Amos 5:15; Romans 12:9; Ephesians 5:11; Hebrews 1:9.

This means we don't accept it. Instead we speak against it.

Love from Nancy

Our Christian walk is not only believing in Jesus Christ, but confessing that He is our Lord and Savior (Romans 10:9-10). We are born again by believing and confessing. And now this is the way we continue to walk in Christ. Every new understanding of truth we believe as we read the Word of God, we must also confess.

Hebrews 10:35 says, "Cast not away therefore your confidence, which hath great recompense of reward." The Greek word for "confidence" is "parrhesia" and actually means "all out-spokenness--frankness, bluntness, publically and boldly speaking, assurance." We do not hide our salvation; we proclaim it. We do not hide the truth God reveals to us; we boldly speak it out, even in the face of ridicule and resistance from family and those around us.

Confession keeps our faith real. Confession keeps truth vibrant in our hearts. The more you share the truth with others, the more it becomes part of your life.

This same word is used of Jesus, the early disciples, and of Paul speaking boldly. Paul and Barnabas "waxed bold" in the midst of people "contradicting and blaspheming" them (Acts 13:45-46). It was because Jesus spoke boldly that He came from God and was one with God that they crucified Him!

Our confession may get us into trouble, but do we stop confessing? We dare not! I think that now we had better start boldly confessing the truth more than ever, because we don't know how much longer we will be able to do it without real persecution! A new day has dawned in America. It's time to be more radical than ever!

Love from Nancy

There are lots of twins mentioned in the Bible. I'm not talking about physical twins, but spiritual twins. One set of twins are RIGHTEOUSNESS and JOY! Sometimes we imagine that righteousness is associated with legality and seriousness. How do we get these strange ideas? God links them together.

Talking of Jesus, Hebrews 1:8-9 tells us, "Thou hast loved righteousness, and hated iniquity, therefore God, even thy God, hath anointed thee with the oil of gladness above thy fellows." This is not ordinary joy, but joy more than anyone else.

Shouldn't we have the same attitude as our Savior? We should also love righteousness and hate evil. In other words, we are to be a friend to righteousness and an enemy of evil. This requires action! We have to actively go after righteousness. We have to actively hate evil and do something about it (Psalm 97:10; Proverbs 8:13; Ephesians 5:11).

When we have this attitude, our twin JOY will accompany us. Isn't that great?

Have a joyful day. Love from Nancy

There are lots of twins mentioned in the Bible. I'm not talking about physical twins, but spiritual twins. One set of twins are RIGHTEOUSNESS and JOY! Sometimes we imagine that righteousness is associated with legality and seriousness. How do we get these strange ideas? God links them together.

Talking of Jesus, Hebrews 1:8-9 tells us, "Thou hast loved righteousness, and hated iniquity, therefore God, even thy God, hath anointed thee with the oil of gladness above thy fellows." This is not ordinary joy, but joy more than anyone else.

Shouldn't we have the same attitude as our Savior? We should also love righteousness and hate evil. In other words, we are to be a friend to righteousness and an enemy of evil. This requires action! We have to actively go after righteousness. We have to actively hate evil and do something about it (Psalm 97:10; Proverbs 8:13; Ephesians 5:11).

When we have this attitude, our twin JOY will accompany us. Isn't that great?

Have a joyful day. Love from Nancy

One of my constant prayers is that God will daily lead me into truth and expose all deception in my life. I hate deception. I love truth. I am sure this is your attitude, too.

Jeremiah 5:3 says, "O Lord, are not thine eyes upon the truth?" Because God is Truth, and can't be anything else than truth, He hates lies, but aligns Himself with truth. I want to be in sync with God so I hanker after truth. That means I must immerse myself in His Word.

Man's humanistic reasoning is no match for God's eternal truth. It is only when we know His truth that we discern deception. It is interesting that when the children of Israel were taken captives to Babylon that God warned them through the prophet Jeremiah to watch out for deception "in the midst of you" (Jeremiah 29:8-9). You would have thought He would have warned them to watch out for the deception in Babylon as Babylon was filled with deception and confusion! However, he knew they would see through that deception because it was so blatant. The deception we have to be concerned about is that which is so similar to the truth that it takes being filled with God's Word to discern it!

I want to be a truth seeker, a truth finder, a truth lover, a truth embracer, a truth adherer, a truth speaker, and a truth promoter! Don't you?

And let's raise children who have a love for truth, children who will not be swayed by humanistic propaganda, children who can discern the difference between good and evil, and children who will be able to stand, "and having done all stand" against all deception.

Love from Nancy

I was looking at my daughter, Evangeline's Facebook and noticed her answer to an article she read called, "Why Motherhood is not the Finish Line for Biblical Womanhood" written by a single woman. I thought I would share it with you. Of course, Vange writes in her style! Those who know Vange will love it! If you haven't been introduced to her yet, well, look out! Nancy

The problem with this article is in its very, very, narrow definition of motherhood. If you define motherhood as the few short years where you have your own children around your knees, she is right, because once the children are no longer little ones in your arms you have reached a finished line of sorts--which is the most limited and incomplete view of mothering I've ever heard.

BUT, if you step back and look at the bigger picture and a more biblical view of mothering - mothering is INNATE. It is the compassionate, nurturing, God-given nature of the female gender. It both predates and postdates having children of your own. It is expressing God's compassion and tenderness to those around us whether they be our family or the families He puts in our lives. I would never argue with the author that having a firm basis of biblical truth is not critical. Anyone who replaces the Bible with the La Leche League manual is asking for trouble eternally, but they are equally asking for trouble if they try to strip the compassionate, nurturing, mothering heart out of women and turn them into theological robots who do not understand one of their greatest callings while on earth.

If you actually look at the biblical injunctions that are addressed to women I believe that they demonstrate that God cries out for women to be encouraged in these very roles that the author is so sick of the church encouraging (loving your husband and loving your children). Maybe she does not have a husband or children so therefore needs to realize that she can still manifest who she is with the God-given female mothering nature within her. She ALSO needs to realize that mothering never has a finish line. Never! NEVER!!!

That is why Paul told the older women to instruct (mother) the younger women to be great wives and mothers before all other earthly ministries, the very thing this author is griping about. We are told that when we mother we are then fruitful for the Kingdom of God more than by doing other ministries. In this way we light up the world! In this way we keep the world going! In this way we bring God's nurturing heart to the world! In this way we honor Him! Talk about doctrine - could we be reading from the same bible? Part of training in theology is part of training to be a good mother. Good godly mothering is a dying art in this society today. It is belittled, despised, rejected, touted as disturbing, to name just a few attitudes.
Yet, most women, at sometime, become or embrace mothering and are left bewildered, discouraged, and lonely in a mothering land that is despised everywhere we turn today - EVEN in the churches... and if we do not encourage or teach them that this is God's own heart, His idea, One of His destinies for us - then we ourselves have become blinded by this age and God himself will reach out and take them by the hand and gently lead those that are with young!
God is calling a revival of mothering. Calling them to stand in their land of mothering and nurture with all their God-given power!

LIVE MOTHERS! LIFE TO MOTHERS! MAY GOD GRANT THEM ENERGY AND POWER FOR TRULY THE EARTH QUAKES WHEN A MOTHER UNDERSTANDS HER DESTINY ON EARTH AND BEGINS TO PRAY OVER HER DOMAIN!

We are all reeling from the impact of Storm Sandy. Jeremiah 5:22 is an interesting Scripture to read at this time, "Fear ye not me? saith the Lord: will ye not tremble at my presence, which have placed the sand for the bound of the sea by a perpetual decree, that it cannot pass it: and though the waves thereof toss themselves, yet can they not prevail; though they roar, yet can they not pass over?"

God gives boundaries in nature for our safety and blessing. Until we came to USA I lived by the ocean and have always been amazed to watch the pounding waves break upon the shore and yet only come so far. God has divinely set their boundary. What stops the waves, except God? We are aware again of this miracle when we have a storm such as Sandy that rebels against the boundaries and wrecks such devastation and loss. And yet, even in a monster storm the waves can only go so far.

Just as we need boundaries in nature to keep us safe and secure, so we need boundaries in our personal lives, our families, and in the nation. Our boundaries are God's principles and laws which He has given for the safety of our lives. When we keep within His boundaries we live in freedom and blessing. The psalmist confessed in Psalm 119:71, "It is good for me that I have been afflicted; that I might learn thy statutes." Many times we reap the consequences of moving beyond God's boundaries where we no longer have His covering and blessing. We need to return to the fold again.

Some parents don't like to put boundaries upon their children. They want their children to think they are nice! However, they will not enjoy true freedom in a home that has no boundaries. They will instead experience frustration and can be led down a path of destruction.

Embrace your boundaries in your own life. Teach your children the blessing of boundaries. Boundaries give peace. Boundaries give safety, And boundaries release us to freedom. We are free to enjoy life to the full in the midst of safe boundaries.

Love from Nancy

I believe that one of the most important attitudes we can have in our life is a "returning spirit." Jeremiah 5:3 tells us about the children of Israel who "refused to return."

I should always have a "returning spirit" in my heart--returning back to God when I grieve the Holy Spirit, returning back to God's plumbline of truth when I get into deception, returning back to a soft and tender spirit when my heart becomes hard.

Not only should I have a "returning spirit" toward the Lord, but also toward my husband--returning to a soft a sweet spirit when I become haughty and independent, returning to a submissive spirit when I would rather do my own thing. I think that one of the secrets of a harmonious marriage is to keep a soft and tender spirit. This takes constant "returning."

What about the church of God today? I believe that "the spirit of returning" is the greatest need of the hour--returning to our first love, returning back to God's absolute truth and principles, returning back to the radical lifestyle of the earth church, and turning away from our mediocre, middle of the road, complacent, flesh-pampering and world-loving spirit.

God leaves us with the plea to return in the last verses of the Old Testament, "He shall TURN THE HEART OF THE FATHERS TO THE CHILDREN, and the heart of the children to their fathers, lest I come and smite the earth with a curse" (Malachi 4:5-6). The Hebrew word is "shuv" and is translated "turn" 80 times and "return" 491 times. God's greatest longing is for a returning back to His heart for family, to see children as He sees them, and to embrace into our families the children He wants us to have.

Will we have a "returning spirit"? Or would we rather stay in our rut of "my way." In everything in life it is either "my way" which usually leads to destruction and deception, or "God's way" which leads to life and holiness.

Love from Nancy Campbell

May God strengthen you mightily as you mother and train your children today. You are privileged to be working in the most influential career in the nation--building a strong marriage and family, and consequently building a nation! And even more amazing, you don't have an earthly employer; your employer is God Himself!

When Zerubbabel and his crew came back from Babylon to rebuild the temple, God encouraged them with the words, "Yet now be strong, alert and courageous, O Zerubbabel, says the Lord; be strong, alert and courageous O Joshua... and be strong, alert and courageous all you people of the land, and work. For I am with you, says the Lord of hosts" (Haggai 2:4 Amplified).

We are also involved in rebuilding--rebuilding a nation where marriages and families have been falling apart. I believe the answer to the cry of the psalmist, "If the foundations be destroyed, what can the righteous do?" is to build them again. We do this firstly by putting every effort into building our own marriage and family, and secondly, to be part of strengthening and building up again the families of the nation by proclaiming and standing true to God's principles.

How do we this? We have to be STRONG! We have to be DISCERNING AND ALERT to the enemy's subtle inroads into our home! We have to be COURAGEOUS! And, we have to WORK! Yes, it is not a picnic! It takes WORK!

But, we do not need to faint, because who is with us? The strong and mighty Warrior, the Lord of hosts, the Lord of the armies of heaven who fights for His people.

Be encouraged today in your great work of building. You are doing a great work. I know you'll be strong and courageous for the task.

Love from Nancy Campbell